The Choice Between Search Ads or Social Ads

With so many digital marketing options out there, which one should you choose? We often hear clients debating whether to choose between search ads or social ads. While each one presents their own advantages and disadvantages, you have to choose the option that better aligns with your business and your goals, and we’re here to help you do that! For the purpose of this blog, we have narrowed the choices down to the two main powerhouses of digital marketing: Google Ads and Facebook Ads.

Audiences & Reach

With Google Ads, you target people that are actively searching for products and services via a list of keywords that you come up with. On the other hand, on Facebook, you target people based on audiences rather than keywords. So rather than come up with a keyword list, you would come up with a target audience based on location, interests, behaviors, & demographics. While you might not be targeting people that are actively searching at that very moment, you could reach people that have expressed interest in something similar.

Each one has its advantages. Since you can get a lot more targeted on Facebook, you can ensure that you are reaching the people that are most likely to convert, whereas on Google you’re essentially targeting anyone that is searching for any of your keywords in your set targeted location. That being said, people are typically more likely to convert when they’re actively looking for something, than when they just happen to come across it.

In terms of reach, you also have the potential for a much bigger reach on Google than you potentially do on Facebook, given that 3.5 billion searches are conducted every day on Google in comparison to Facebook’s total daily active users of only 1.45 billion.

Cost

Average cost per click (CPC) tends to vary significantly, both on Facebook and Google Ads, depending on your industry, your targeted location, and the number of competitors auctioning for ad space. That being said, CPC tends to be higher on Google than on Facebook. The reported average CPC on Facebook across all industries is about $1.86, while search ads tend to cost about $3 per click, with some clicks going as high as $50 or more in extreme cases.

Before working with any PPC specialist or digital marketing agency, and/or before making any decision between Facebook or Google Ads, have them come up with a quote for you with an estimated average CPC so you can get a general idea of what it could cost you. However, keep in mind that there are several things your specialist can do to lower the CPC both when they’re building the campaign and after the campaign goes live.

Ad Types

Before making any final decision, you also need to consider the different ad types available to you on each platform. Google has more options when it comes to ad types. On Google, you can run text, image, or video ads. In contrast, Facebook only allows image and/or video ads. For those industries that do not have many tangible products, or anything very visual, text ads on Google are the best way to go.

If you need help running your Facebook ads and/or your Google ads, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! Call us today to learn more about the Dealerwebb difference that continues to deliver fast, reliable, responsive, and quality opportunities for business nationwide.